Federal judges—including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor—have
refused to grant an injunction protecting the owners of Hobby Lobby from
being forced to act against their Christian faith, those owners will be
subject to federal fines of up to $1.3 million per day starting Tuesday
for refusing to include abortion-inducing drugs in their employee
health plan.

"Americans lose their First Amendment right to freely exercise their
religion when they form a corporation and engage in commerce. A person’s
Christianity, the administration argues, cannot be carried out through
activities he engages in through an incorporated business... The second argument the administration makes to justify forcing
Christians to act against their faith is more sweeping. Here the
administration argues it can force a person to act against his religion
so long as the coercion is done under the authority of a law that is
neutral and generally applicable—in other words, as long as the law was
not written specifically to persecute Christians as Christians, the
government can use that law to persecute Christians.

As to the first argument, if a man chooses to create and build a business, he does this under the principles that reflect who is is, and what he values-- everything anyone does reflects his or her values to one degree or the other. In the case of Hobby Lobby, they've been in business far longer than Obamacare, and have operated under the principles of it's owners. So what the Obama Administration is demanding is that a man's (or his family) deny the principles he began his company with; principles that have guided his business and decisions heretofore. This is wrong. Period.

To the second, the government may not be consciously persecuting this company because it's foundation is on Christ, but that is the end result. Because of the founders' faith he must now, under law, provide access to a service that is anathema to any Christian worth his salt.

This isn't a case where a new startup must comply with existing law prior to opening its doors for business. Hobby Lobby has been in business for years, long before liberals decided to force their moral paradigm upon the people of this nation.

Will Hobby Lobby stand firm? Or will they cave? God has the power to preserve and sustain them in spite of Obamacare.

3 Comments:

Goose and GanderShould Jehovah's Witness business owners be forced to carry insurance covering blood transfusions and products, even though their religion doesn't approve?

Should Pentecostal business owners that don't approve of surgery be forced to cover such procedures?

And why just give business owners religious exceptions, why not let businesses that don't approve of labor laws ignore those too? I mean why does the government have the power to make any business do anything?

I have to say that to regard Hobby Lobby as "caving" for acting against their principles likely does not take into account the peripherals, such as the impact on their employees. It is indeed a steep price they will be forced to pay. I hope that they will not pay a dime and ignore the fines until they can find good legal representation to overturn. It is likely that God's will shall be based on how the public supports Hobby Lobby. We must call our reps and raise hell.